“New York’s gay milieu, and for that matter, New York itself, has never seemed so vile, sordid, dispiriting, and degrading. One can almost smell the piss in the doorways, the massive body odors on the steamy city streets.”

"It marks the first time a citizens' protest has been mounted against a film before it's in the can. And it has brought the gay community its most potent or­ganizing tool since the murder of Harvey Milk"

“William Friedkin, his crew, and his star, Al Pacino, invaded Jones Street Au­gust 10. Residents on the block hadn’t received prior notification. Nor had they been asked how they felt about ‘Cruising’ being shot on their block.”

With William Friedkin’s long-controversial thriller screening this week at the Quad, we look back at its turbulent legacy